Most people would be more than happy to stay retired after serving nearly 40 years in the education sector. Jim Millsap, Good Dads’ Strong Schools Coordinator, isn’t most people.
“I was so bad at retirement, I came on board with Good Dads,” he joked.
Jim has always enjoyed being involved in education. He previously spent 39 total years in education as a math teacher and later as a principal—principally at Billings High School, about 20 miles southwest of Springfield.
Now in his role as Strong Schools coordinator, Jim occasionally takes on the role of Strong Schools captain, the person who leads groups in the lessons on various character traits. While serving as a captain, Jim says he loves seeing fathers and students working together and sharing special moments. As a father himself, he says connecting with your kids and having fun experiences is an integral part of fatherhood.
With Jim at the helm, Good Dads Strong Schools has grown to nearly three-dozen schools in Springfield and Southwest Missouri. Hundreds of dads and their students gather in elementary school cafeterias every month of the school year to share breakfast, participate in a fun and educational activity and learn an important character-building lesson at the same time. In Jim’s opinion, bringing Strong Schools to your school is one of the most cost-effective and impactful ways to bring fathers into the school environment.
It also offers an innovative solution to an ongoing problem: Schools tend to have a disproportionate ratio of men and women faculty members. Women serve as great educators and administrators, but a lack of a male influence or presence risks, according to Jim, creating a distorted view of the world.
“Children need to be involved with both males and females,” Jim said. “They need to learn how to interact and be respectful to both—and dads need to be involved in that process to help make those connections with their kids.”
Additionally, Jim says that fathers are often pigeonholed to the role of disciplinarian. This reinforces the idea that a dad is a judge or a boogeyman, rather than someone you can ask for help and have fun with. Most of the time, if Dad is in the school building, it’s probably not for a positive reason.
That’s where Good Dads Strong Schools come in. Jim says Strong Schools provide an opportunity for fathers to interact with their children in a relaxed setting where they can enjoy doing a fun activity, have conversations and even connect with other dads.
“Part of being a parent is being involved in all aspects of your children’s lives,” he said. “And certainly it’s a big aspect when you’re a student in school. Getting dads into schools in a positive environment for a positive reason is very, very important.”
Whether he’s leading a Strong Schools event or there as an observer, Jim has witnessed special moments between fathers and their children at every single Strong Schools breakfast he’s attended.
“(The interactions) warm your heart, whether it’s a conversation, smile or hug. Each of those moments make me understand why it is so important that we do what we do, and it’s very gratifying.”
Jim has personally witnessed the importance of positive parental involvement in children’s lives—and that Good Dads can be a vital part of building strong families.
“We would love to be a part of your school community,” he said. “Reach out to us if we can be helpful. The more that dads and father figures are involved in their children’s lives, the stronger the family, stronger the schools and stronger the communities that we build.”
This back-to-school season, bring the gift of Good Dads to your neighborhood elementary school. Implementing the program at a new school is easier than you might think, and we’re here to support you.
If you believe in the value of responsible fatherhood and father-figures, we hope you’ll make a charitable donation to the program. Help us bring Strong Schools to even more schools in Missouri and beyond!
